Old Primitive Tool Box Apothecary 12 Drawers in Spice Brown Paint Neat

Ta ~ Da~! Drum roll please because this awesome 12 drawer tool box deserves recognition indeed! I was able to acquire this item at Market recently and am thrilled to now offer it to you.

This 1920's to 1940's tool box could really be considered a piece of furniture because of the height and looks right at home placed beside a ladder-back chair. Just to be clear, this is a tool box but so many people today including other dealers are calling anything with drawers an apothecary therefore I used this term as a keyword search only.

What I find so special about this piece is the maker decided to use a nut, washer and small coiled spring on the front as a marker to remind him of the contents in the drawer as shown in image 7. This little make ~ do addition creates a sprinkling of folksy charm, don't you agree? There are three drawers that are marked in this manner. These drawers are fashioned from old cigar boxes stamped with the manufactures name of, "Londres" on the side with the factory number and "Notice" on the back. The inside of the drawers are painted a light sage green color. Small nail construction can be found on the sides of each drawer and appropriate nail bleed is present. Some of the drawers have divisions while some do not. Apparently, the holes for the original drawer knobs have been moved down as shown in image 8 that reflects the holes are somewhat visible.

The spice brown paint lends a warm color that is neutral enough to fit in nicely with any primitive decor. Five board construction using pine wood and round nails are evident as there is a dislodged knot, as shown on the left side of this box. See image 20. The box has no divisions provided for drawers as they just slide in and fit slightly askew. The wood is a little rough on the sides and back. Cleverly, a smaller piece of wood was used as a fill in on the backside. The right side has a mark that looks like three lines located near the middle. The left side also has some white lines located near the bottom corner and also shows very small slivers of wood missing. There is a little dot of white near the top. Please refer to images 20, 21 & 22.

The surface on the top of this piece is aged to perfection as numerous scratches are present as shown in image 26. The bottom of the box is more of a dry attic finish and the surface wear is just as it should be! There are also some chips present as referred to in image 3 located on the bottom front edge.

This tool box was made because it served a purpose either out in the barn or in a tool shed. Just think of all the small things you could store in these 12 drawers, out of sight, in a wonderful primitive piece such as this! Would also be useful in a bathroom to hold cosmetics and other necessities! You could even use this as a seed box to store precious seeds from your garden too! Very versatile, fun and really hits that primitive spot for anyone who has a craving for boxes with drawers! Enjoy!

The drawer box stands 25 3/4" tall, 11 1/2" across the front & 10 1/2" Deep. The drawer measures 5 1/4 across the front, 3 1/2" Tall & 10" Deep.